Murder inquiry to begin as man’s body found in Co Meath field

Gardaí are expected to begin a murder investigation today after the discovery of a man’s body with gunshot wounds in a field in Ballymacan, Co Meath.

He was named last night as Paul Gallagher, believed to be a Dubliner in his mid 20s who had been missing since Monday. He was from Donaghmede in north Dublin but also had an address in Co Louth.

Mr Gallagher is believed to have gone with an associate to meet other men in a remote part of Co Meath near Collon when he was shot dead.

Gardaí believe the murder occurred in the field where the body was discovered at about 5.30pm yesterday. He had been shot several times.

The man Mr Gallagher was with on Monday fled the area when he heard gunfire. However, he did not go to gardaí.

The fact he was with the deceased at the time of his death only emerged when Mr Gallagher’s family realised he was missing and began contacting his friends looking for information as to his whereabouts.

Reported missing

The deceased’s family initially believed he had gone to Drogheda on Monday with his associate to meet a group of other men and had gone missing there. They reported him missing to gardaí in Drogheda.

It is now believed the two men drove to Collon to meet a group of men known to them. Gardaí think Mr Gallagher got out of the car he was travelling in and walked into a field at Ballymacken, just north of Slane.

His associate, who had remained in the car, heard shots being fired and immediately fled in the car.

Mr Gallagher’s family had been looking for him and, acting on information they received, they went to the field near Collon with the permission of the landowner and the body was found.

The motive for the shooting is not clear. However, gardaí are trying to establish if the killers are members of a north Dublin gang who lured their victim to the field on the pretence of discussing a drugs debt.

The suspects are closely linked to a man regarded as one of the State's biggest drug dealers. He is suspected of involvement in robberies and drug-related murders, including the killing two years ago of Real IRA figure Alan Ryan in Dublin.